It’s January 2020. I just returned back to Beijing from visiting my family for Christmas. Let me tell you, just getting home from Beijing was a crazy experience in itself. Let’s just say I left my backpack and $2000 in the Beijing airport bathroom but that’s a whole different story and I promise to tell you all the ridiculous details later.
Anyway- once I return back to Beijing from visiting my family I had to work for roughly three weeks before I boarded another plane! This time, off to Europe I go! Excited doesn’t even describe what I was feeling. I had never been to Europe. Does everyone walk around eating baguettes and saying “Oui, Oui?” I know I know- How uncultured?
When I arrived back in Beijing there were whispers about a quick spreading new virus. I did what any respecting self-proclaimed germaphobe would do and stopped taking public transportation as a safety precaution and wore my mask everywhere. We were even required to wear our masks at work and in the DiDi. (Chinese version of Uber)
During these three weeks, I became more and more anxious about my upcoming trip to visit Max in Germany. At this time, there weren’t any travel restrictions but masks were required during the whole flight. I thought, how on gods green earth would I tolerate a mask for such a long flight? Little did I know it would be much more than one flight of tolerating a mask. LITTLE DID I KNOW I’d be writing about it over a year later while wearing- you guessed it- a damn mask. Man oh man was I in for the surprise of a lifetime.
I contemplated going back to the US to wait out the virus. After many chats with my family combined with the strong desire to see Max again, I decided to make the trip to Germany. So, I packed my exact 10 outfits (because remember, I was only going to be gone for 10 days) I promised myself I wouldn’t overpack. This was the trip where I would plan each outfit to a T! It’s my time to shine! I even wrote down each outfit and how I could mix and match in order to not overpack. FML
Not the time you want your airplane seat mate falling asleep on you…
After a super long flight I had a few hours layover in Poland! I was so excited. I was finally in Europe and in just a few short hours I’d be reunited with the love of my life! I found a bathroom and quickly began the airport bathroom makeover session that takes place after any long flight. If you know, you know. After a few sprays of dry shampoo, some armpit wiping and lipstick applying I was ready to board my short flight from Poland to Germany!
Max picked me up from the airport, flowers in hand, like something straight out of a romance novel.
We were so happy to see each other! I felt complete again. In this foreign land, which I had never visited before, I felt at home and a since of calmness which I had never experienced before. At this time, we had been casually dating for roughly 8 months. We had been absolutely smitten with each other since day one. We were so ready to take full advantage of the short 10 days we had together!
THREE DAYS into my TEN day trip, I decided I wanted to wait out the virus for a bit in Germany. As fate would have it, the very next day my flight was canceled by the airline. I thought wow! This is amazing! I get an extra long vacation with my boyfriend.
We took total advantage of the extra time. We explored areas of Austria, Switzerland and made a trip to Munich. One day, ever so casually, Max asked if I wanted to take a road trip to Paris soon. I thought PINCH ME! WHAT EVEN IS LIFE RIGHT NOW? We started to plan road trips to many more countries in Europe. We were going to take full advantage of all the extra time! In the back of my mind, I knew I’d eventually have to leave Max behind to finish his exams before he would return to Beijing. But for now- I was living my literal dream. Traveling around Europe with a super hot European dude, check!
I remember the first time I saw the Swiss alps, tears filled my eyes. When recalling the first moment I saw these amazing mountains I can still feel the humbleness that took over my body. I was rocked to my core. All I could think about after was I wanted more, more of this feeling. More of feeling so incredibly insignificant yet so on top of the world while craving for more bone chilling experiences.
After a couple weeks, the mystery virus started to spread outside of China. A few more weeks after that the entire world stopped. After various attempts to book a flight out of Germany we quickly realized this was far bigger than we could have ever expected. We now found ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic. Covid-19 began to rock the entire world.
We were now totally stuck together for the foreseeable future, and I don’t think either one of us minded it one single bit.
Germany went into lockdown at the end of March and it ended around the middle of May. (Strict lockdown number 1.)
When lockdown was over, we were so happy to go to a restaurant as I’m sure you can tell by the copious amount of beer we drank.
We spent our spare time dreaming about returning to the place we both loved once lockdown was over, Beijing! We daydreamed about all the places we would travel together! Thinking back, it was definitely a coping mechanism and one we didn’t mind using day after day.
Our days were also filled with quarantine haircuts, bike rides, hikes, German language learning and pretzels, many pretzels!
Max even labeled everything imaginable in German to aid in my German Language Education. As I would wash dishes- das Spülbecken. As I used the toilet- die Toilette. As I got dressed- die Socken, die Hose and die Unterhose… You get the picture. EVERYTHING WAS LABLED!
Most of Max’s time was spent preparing for his final Aerospace Engineering exams. I was to be long gone by the time his exams rolled around but now, here I was, happy as a damn clam to be stuck.
We quickly realized everything was changing. EVERYTHING.
Max’s final exams began to be canceled. One by one with no real answer as to when he’d be able to make them up. These exams were the door between living out our dreams together or me having to return back to Beijing- alone, or so I thought…
Eventually on May 22nd he was able to finish his final exams! We then shifted all our energy into getting back to our lives in Beijing. We spent countless hours planning and trying to work around all the restrictions that were set in place for traveling back to Beijing. Four weeks quarantine at a government ran quarantine facility, separate rooms and all. We were ready and willing to do anything it took to get back!
In May, we received devastating news that my dad had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. We knew what we had to do. No questions asked. We were no longer looking at ways we could get back to Beijing but rather how we could get to the US. As I’m thinking back, it was never even a conversation. We never even discussed me going alone. It was just understood that I wouldn’t be supporting my family alone during this extremely difficult time. I never asked, he just took it upon his shoulders. It was an unspoken and indescribable notion that he was going and we’d figure out everything in between together. Damn do I love this man.
This is where it gets tricky. Max being an European citizen- per the travel restrictions at that time- he was unable to enter the US without having spent 14 days in a different country for quarantine due to Germany being a hotspot AND not just any country but one that was on the approved country list. That list changed daily.
Day after day, week after week we followed the news outlets like it were our jobs. We were waiting for ANY country to open their borders. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. Being passport holders form two different countries made this extremely difficult. Some countries he needs a visa for and I didn’t and vice versa. We needed to find a country we could escape to for 14 days that allowed us BOTH in without visas.
Days turned into weeks. Then, we got the news that Turkey and Jamaica were rumored to be opening for tourism soon. We were cautiously optimistic!
One night, about 4 beers deep, we got the news that Jamaica was indeed opening for tourism! We didn’t even think twice. We grabbed another beer, our credit cards and passports then began the process of booking flights and hotels!
But wait- of course it wasn’t going to be that simple. You couldn’t just stay anywhere on the island. You had to stay at a government approved resort due to the current Covid-19 restrictions and protocols. These resorts had to have a special certification that allowed them to be open for tourism during a global pandemic. Makes sense, right? But wait, it gets better. You also had to apply for permission to travel to the island through the Jamaican government and submit to a Covid test upon arrival. The kicker is you had to have already booked your flights and accommodation BEFORE you applied for the travel authorization.
What if your travel authorization is denied but you’ve already booked your flights and hotel? Well then, you’re just screwed. We were happy to take the chance! This was our ONLY option to get out of Germany- together- and to the US.
Spoiler alert- we received our travel authorization and were finally cleared to travel to Jamaica for 14 days! We were again, cautiously optimistic. Nothing was guaranteed. But you booked your flights, what could go wrong? Anything and everything, that’s what! We were in the middle of a damn global pandemic. I tried to talk myself out of being excited to avoid the inevitable heartbreak that would follow if, yet again, we were faced with another cancelled flight.
We found a resort called The Moon Palace of Jamaica. It was an all inclusive resort and had it been any other time it would have totally been out of our price range but due to the current situation, the resort was running an amazing special. Buy one week, get one free PLUS 40% off your total.
WE WERE PSYCHED!
Unfortunately, two days before we were set to leave Max’s sweet Omi passed away. We talked about it and knew she would want us to still go so two days later, with heavy hearts, we set off to begin our 14 day quarantine in Jamaica.
The only flight we were able to take had a 17 hour layover in Canada. Are you ready for it- due to the travel restrictions at that time, we were unable to leave the airport…
We spent a glorious 17 hours drinking beer, eating burgers and trying to sleep. We found an airport restaurant that had some booths that were cushioned. We took up shop there for the remainder of the evening/night and into the morning. We met an older German woman who was traveling alone. We kept her company, drank beer together and swapped travel stories! She often tried to talk me into sneaking a cigarette with her in the airport bathroom, which I respectfully declined. She was wild. Oh, the people you meet while traveling.
IT WAS TIME TO BOARD FOR JAMAICA! We were so happy to be getting away from this damn airport. 10/10 don’t recommend trying to sleep in a restaurant booth.
A few short and restless hours later we arrived in Jamaica.
After deplaning in Jamaica, we were all herded like cattle through many different lines that were manned by Jamaican solders. It was like a maze in the airport. There were so many stops along the maze to gather information. We kept walking and walking and walking… still no COVID-19 test, which we had been absolutely dreading. We thought wow! We got lucky, as we arrived at what we thought was our last stop before entering the bus to our resort.
Narrator: They in fact did not get lucky.
Right before heading out the airport gates, there were around 20 nurses set up to shove one stick down your throat and another up your nose for your final send off.
WE MADE IT TO JAMAICA!
We spent the next 14 days exploring the resort, drinking our body weight in fruity cocktails, snorkeling and being totally gluttonous.
Max ended up breaking his toe and I broke my phone. Other than that, we had an amazing time!
As the time got closer for us to leave this beautiful island and head for good ole Tennessee, we became extremely nervous about border control allowing Max into the US. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to border control and with the added bonus of a global pandemic and travel restrictions changing daily it made for an extremely nerve-racking flight.
We arrived at border control in Atlanta. The officer took one look at Max’s passport and there was a pause. I felt all the blood leave my body. You know, like when you are out with your new love and you run into your ex. That kind of hide under a rock feeling. Yea, that feeling…
Had we come this far just to be turned away at the border? I felt the need to divulge the circumstances surrounding our arrival in the US. I told the officer about my dad being very sick and how Max didn’t want to miss his chance of asking for my hand in marriage before it was to late. How we had just been stuck in Germany for 6 months and had spent that last 14 day quarantined in Jamaica.
It was like diarrhea of the mouth. I couldn’t stop. The fear was taking over like some sort of out of body experience. I could hear myself, but I couldn’t stop it.
The officer made a call and it went something like this “German passport holder, he’s been out of Germany for 14 days. Is he good?” Then STAMP! Yes! He got the OK to enter The United States of America!
Relieved isn’t even the word. What a whirl wind of emotions.
As we were walking to baggage claim there were, once again, immigration officers EVERYWHERE. They were pulling people at random for further questioning I assumed. I kept telling myself, keep walking and don’t make eye contact, smile and look down. We were almost to the finish line.
Reality started to set in as we cleared all immigration officers. Am I REALLY taking my German boyfriend, whom I met in Beijing, to small town Rocky Top, and show him where I came from? (previously known as Lake City) Yes, yes I was and damn was I stoked to show him where I came from, introduce him to my family and, of course, show him ALL THE DELICIOUS SOUTHERN FOOD!
Welcome to The Southern United States, Max!
-Kendall
